The Bubble (movie 2022) A comedy for our times

​The Bubble got sh*t on by the public opinion, and I’d go so far as to say it was undeserving.
First off, it’s Apatow, so what’d you expect – a highbrow Oscar-worthy drama? Apatow does comedies. Often lowbrow ones. Nothing as dumb as, say, Sandler, but still. This is a comedy. And a fun funny one at that. In a way, a perfect comedy for our times, The Bubble managed to simultaneously spoof the movie industry itself and the madness of the last couple of years of life in general. It’s entirely possible that if you are in showbusiness (on any level, really, even adjacent to it), this movie will work more for you. The jokes, when they land and often they do, are just so right on the money.
The last two years and movie industry always have had a certain absurdity to it and all Apatow does is holds up a mirror to it. That’s what art of all brow levels meant to do after all, imitate life, in a way.
And so, this tale of the increasingly unruly and maddening shooting of a blockbuster in a bubble works. Is it too soon? Oh, who knows. But it is funny. It’s got a great cast: two Apatow family members as per usual plus some comics plus some surprises. The best surprise by far is David Duchovny, who while still rocking it, at 61 is at long last beginning to look his age if only from the chin up. And yet…and yet, watch that man do a dance routine. It’s pure pleasure.
And yes, those were my favorite scenes by far, but the entire movie (all twosome hours of it) was plenty entertaining. Sure the critics were critical – it is their job after all, but this was all I want in a comedy. Bubble up.